ReadPress Release
on our
June 22, 2007 screeningin
Italian Parliament, sponsored by The ItalianTransnational Radical
Party

On
JANUARY 16th, 2007 Hand of God aired nationally on the
PBS public affairs series FRONTLINE. It became one of their most
talked-about shows. Click the logo above to enter FRONTLINE's
Hand of
God website. You can view the film, read an interview with the
producers, see updates and a sampling of the over 650 emails FRONTLINE
received.

"FRONTLINE stands alone on television as a place inquiring minds can
go regularly for smart, tough documentaries that demystify hard-news
issues affecting the health of the entire planet."-Los Angeles
Times

WORDS FROM OUR AUDIENCES

I can't get this
film out of my mind...you have made an extraordinary testimony and a
work of art. -Lucia, Boston, MA

I have read and
heard many accounts of violation of trust at the hands of the clergy,
but never have I seen or heard anything as thorough or moving as Hand
of God. It is the finest statement by a survivor of clergy sexual
exploitation that I have ever heard or seen. -Les, Tupelo MS

Having grown up
in abuse I was astonished by how well this film captured the unbearably
lonely place into which child abuse dumps it's victims (a place that I
remember well), as well as poignantly showing just how extensive the
damage of abuse can be throughout an entire family. -Alan, Stevensville, MT

Brilliant,
penetrating and filled with an unembellished honesty that is almost
startling...this is such a cleansing overall experience...this kind of
film is what a documentary is all about...there is no agenda here
except the truth. -Elaine, Sante Fe, NM

Watching this
film touched all my emotions! I cried, I was angry, I was sad, but I
never felt alone like in the past...Thank you for making this film, it
is the best depiction of what happened to so many young boys whose
childhoods were stolen. -Mark, SNAP - Jackson, MS

I was so
impressed. I have seen all them (films) that have been produced on this
subject and yours is by far the best. I even laughed between tears. -Ruth, MA

Please know of my
appreciation of your efforts to promote dialogue as the Church and
society at large try to come to terms with the devastating effects of
the sexual abuse of minors by clergy. The process of seeking healing
will be a long one, but with the help of God and one another we can,
and indeed we must, make the effort. -Sean Cardinal O'Malley, Archbishop
of Boston
(NOTE: Sean has not actually seen this film)

From Fr. Fred Ruse (Roman Catholic
Archdiocese of Orlando):
Paul's resolve to discover the truth (not the same as expose and
destroy) showed his dignity in all of this which could have stolen that
from him and allowed the abuser and abuse to have won, to have
dominated. Paul has offered a good to all of us. It is what I would say
is truly Church at its best, Church as Church is to be. That does not
mean it feels good or comfortable. It is grace in the midst of the
worst in life, meaning grace is possible.

God bless you and
your brother for putting out a beautiful documentary. It will always be
my favorite film of all time. -Jackie, MA

We always said
while facing some difficult challenges outside the cathedral and other
places that we never felt closer to God than when we stood together
OUTSIDE the church fence and we know the significance of that. Your
movie, "Hand of God" is just that.-Laura, VOTF Boston

Wow, I'm blown
away... I really didn't know what to expect given the sensitive subject
matter and the category "documentary." It's a story... a story
about life, love, family, immigration, and faith. I went to school the
next day and told everyone I saw about it and I'm coming in tonite to
Boston to see it again. -Patty, Salem, MA

The movie was
beautifully done. It haunted me for several days after...Your movie
struck a deep cord. -Ann, SNAP - Boston

Your film left me
with more hope than I usually feel after gatherings on the subject. I
think it is because it was so touching and warmly human.-Dorothy, Boston, MA

Your visions
playing on the screen were hauntingly beautiful... As a Jewish woman, I
feel that your film does not only speak to the Christian faithful in
the world.-Cindy, Salem, MA

This film is the
best thing I have seen on the clerical sexual abuse crisis -Oliva, Boston

That rare thing
when it comes to works on this theme -- a film informed by passion
without histrionics, and a sober and moving family
saga.Dorothy Rabinowitz, Wall St Journal

...quite possibly
the most gripping and illuminating documentary ever made from the point
of view of a sexual abuse victim...The film works not only as
journalism but also as cinematic art.. Robert W. Butler, The Kansas City Star

“Hand of God"
is both an affidavit against the
Catholic archdiocese and a novena to the Cultrera son's elderly parents, who revered the church, but
loved their children more.
Alessandra Stanley, New York Times

Cerebral...forceful,
especially as an indictment of the Catholic Church protecting its own.Dennis Harvey, Variety

Hand of
God is
like a symphony that builds through a leisurely first movement, quietly
foreshadows a coming tempest, then unleashes itself. And when that
tempest comes, it is a fine and glorious example of speaking truth to
power. Hand of God is exceptional documentary work.Michael Moore, The Missoulian

A
provocative and
powerful movie...Like a great detective story, Hand of God peels away
layers of blind faith to reveal the truth. The Orlando Sentinel

Joe Cultrera
wages, in effect, a war of images...Those images function as somber
revelations about the misuse of spiritual power.Claudia Bayliss, South Bend Tribune

Poised and
impassioned...manages to rise above an irrational and indignant damning
of the Church. Nina Maclaughlin, The Boston Phoenix

Hand of God needs to be seen, if only
because Frontline
approaches the subject with sensitivity and a refreshing lack of
hysteria. Remarkably, the film manages to strike a nice balance between
faith and anger; the result is both humane and hard to forget.Alex Strachan, The Montreal Gazette

I
applaud Joe
Cultrera for having the balls to make this film.Brian Hughes, Entertainment Insiders

The story unfolds
with humble determination and healing humor, leading slowly but surely
to a kind of proud acceptance that hits home with almost any right
thinking person. Marie Coady, Woburn Daily Times
Chronicle

The chilling impact
of Joe Cultrera's emotionally and physically draining polemic elevates
it beyond a mere movie until it becomes...an experience for the
audience to partake in...his film is the most moving documentary since
"Grizzly Man."John Thomason, Orlando Weekly

What's most
remarkable is that this film manages to be probing but not maudlin,
largely courtesy of the victim's refusal to be consumed by the effort
of coping. Ultimately, the film is not about being a victim of sex
abuse but about the blindness dogma inculcates in its adherents. The Missoula Independent

The press has
been quite taken with another church-abuse doc, "Deliver Us From
Evil"...That is too bad, because "Hand of God" is superior in almost
every way.Grant Gallicho, Commonweal Magazine

A remarkably
powerful and personal filmKevin McDonough, Lawrence Kansas World

Ashland Independent Film Festival

Florida Film Festival

Cinequest Film Festival

Sedona International Film Festival

Boston International Film Festival

Big Sky Documentary Film Festival

Tupelo Film Festival

DocFest Atlanta

Calgary International Film Festival

Kansas International Film Festival

DocNZ: Int'l Doc Festival of New Zealand

Connecticut Film Festival

Vermont International Film Festival

Mount Shasta International Film Festival

St Louis International Film Festival

SNOB (Somewhat North of Boston) Film Fest

Santa Fe Film Festival

MassBay Film Festival

"Thanks to
all involved in the very strong and thought provoking film "Hand of
God" I made the above painting "inspired" by that documentary:
"CROSS HAIRS" Mixed Media on Panel 36" x 24" By David Vedoe. Taos, NM.
I directly created this painting as an invited artist for an art show
at Touchstone Gallery in Taos, NM

The theme was:
erotica by local and international artists. The piece sold at the
standing room only opening reception February 5, 2007.

I chose to create
a beautiful object (from a distance) to lure people closer to examine
the deeper content and the context of discussing the dark side of
sexuality to enlighten an audience about such atrocious occurrences and
prevent any future abuse if possible.

I am an
Architect, Designer and Artist, born in Copenhagen, Denmark. I hope
this film will be seen all over our planet."